The Expression of Time
Definition For Expression Of Time In Preposition:
Some prepositions show when something happens. They are called Prepositions of time.
At
For a certain moment or point in time
Examples For Preposition At.
at seven o’clock | at noon | at midnight |
at surrise | at sunset | at dawn |
at dusk | at half-past seven | at about seven |
at Christmas | at Easter | at Dewali |
On
For a day, days, a date, dates, at the required time, at the exact minute
Examples For Preposition On.
For Dates | on 6th | on 26th |
For Days | on Saturday | on Monday |
For Date, Months and Year | on December 25th | on 15th August, 1947 |
For Festivals | on Christmas day | on my birth day |
At the required / exact time | on time | on the dot |
In
For an event, seasons, length of time taken
Examples For Preposition In.
For Months | in January | in December |
For Years | in 1947 | in 90’s |
For seasons | in winter | in summer |
For period of time | in the summer holiday | in the afternoon |
At the required / exact time | on time | on the dot |
Length of time taken | in five hours / days | in this week |
For an event | in time | Try to get here in time to help me |
Note: (in, on and at)
in the morning | in the afternoon | in the evening |
on Sunday morning | on Monday afternoon | on Saturday evening |
at night | on Monday night | |
By
By is used to denote the latest time by which something was or is to be done. The implication that it may be done before then, and not later.
Examples For Preposition By.
by Sunday | not later than Sunday |
on Sunday | exactly |
Before / After
Before denotes previous to a time, and After denotes subsequent to a time.
Examples For Preposition Before & After.
before seven o’clock | after two o’clock |
Since / For
Since is used for a point in time and For is used for period of time.
Examples For Preposition Since.
since last year | between a past time and now |
for yesterday | during a length of time |
Since means when and For means for how long
since 1980 | for last week |
since Christmas | for last month |
since last Thursday | for six o’clock |
since seven years | for seven days |
since a long time | for seven months |
During
During is used to express the idea, for part of a period
Examples For Preposition During.
work during the day | sleep during the night |
Note : The prepositions at, on, in are not used if the noun giving a time is preceded by an adjective.
Examples
I met him last Sunday | on last Sunday |
She goes there every day | on every day |
Note : Yesterday, today and tomorrow, besides being nouns, are also used as adverbs and therefore do not take a preposition.
Examples.
He shall meet you tomorrow | not on tomorrow |
She has come today | not on today |
To, Of
To and OF denote minutes before the hour
Examples For Preposition To And Of.
It’s nine to ten | It’s nine of ten |
Until, Within, Towards, Through
Examples.
He slept through the day | They will be here within five minutes |
The party will last until five | It was towards evening when she called |
The Expression of Place or Location
Place of Residence : In
Examples For Preposition Place Or Location.
Many people live in cities | She lives in California |
similarly : in a village, in the desert, in a country, in a city, but at the seaside and on an island
For villages and smaller towns : At
Examples.
I met him at San Francisco | He lives in San Francisco |
But if a person lives there, or because he happens to be there at the moment of speaking : in
Houses, Streets
For a kind of house or residence, when no specific one is mentioned, use in
Examples.
She lives in a small house | He lives in a big house |
(Similarly : in a modern house, in a hotel, in a cottage, in a flat, in a mansion, etc.)
For a particular house or place of residence, use at.
He lives at 12 car street |
For the names of streets and roads, use in
Place of work
For the kind of place, use in if it is a building
His father works in a college |
(Similarly : in an office, in a shop, in a factory, in a restaurant)
But if it is not a building : use on
on a farm | on the railway | on an estate |
If a particular place is indicated, at is generally used.
at the Town Hall | at the railway station | at the City General Hospital |
For a particular room of department, use in
She is working in the French Department |
The Expression of Direction
Examples For Preposition Direction.
across | He goes across the road |
into | He walks into the room |
along | He rides along the road |
out of | She goes out of the area |
onto | Cat is jumping onto the table |
through | The message sent through email |
from | The train moves from London |
away from | The train away from London |
for | The plane is leaving for Spain |
with | The boat sails with the wind |
The Expression of Numbers
Examples For Preposition Numbers.
about (approximately) | There were about 200 people there |
around (approximately) | There were around 200 people there |
over (more than) | She has over a hundred books on that subject |
above (more than) | She has above a hundred books on that subject |
under (less than) | The car costs under a thousand dollars |
between (higher than one number and lower than another) | The tickets will cost between twenty and twenty-five dollars |
from (subtraction) | Three from ten equals seven |
by (multiplication) | Three multiplied by four equals twelve |
into (division) | Three into twelve equals four |
The Expression of Weather
during | We stayed at home during the storm |
in | The children played in the snow |
on | I sit on the balcony on sunny mornings |
during a flood | during an earthquake |
in the good weather | in the cold water |
on rainy weekends | on nice day |
Some Important Phrases For On.
on purpose | on holiday | on television |
on the radio | on the phone | on fire |
on time (not late) | on duty | on leave |
on the corner | on the balcony | on the sofa |
on the beach | on the left side | on his arm |
Some Important Phrases For At.
at (the age of) 20 | at 50 killometers an hour | on business |
at 100 degrees | at night or during the night | at the end of |
at the moment | at the weekend | at the busstop |
at the door | at the traffic lights | at the top of the page |
at the bottom fo the page | at home | at work |
at school | at college | at university |
at the station | at the airport | at David’s house |
at the doctor’s | at the butcher’s | at a conert |
at a football match | at the kitchen sink | at the beach |
good at English | angry at something | bad at grammar |
Some Important Phrases For About.
talk about | speak about | think about |
hear about | know about | a book about |
a question about | a programme about | |
Some Important Phrases For Of.
accused of | afraid of | approve of |
sure of | aware of | boast of |
careful of | careless of | cured of |
die of | full of | glad of |
proud of | take care of | get rid of |
Some Important Differences In Prepositions.
Made Of And Made From
When one substance is changed into another, so that a new substance is produced, we use from, but when the original material is not actually changed, but is formed into some object, then we use of.
Her dress was made of silk | Flour is made from wheat |
superior to | inferior to |
junior to | senior to |
sit on a chair (without arms) | sit in a chair (with arms) |
write in ink | write in pencil |
write with a pencil | write with a pen |
write in English and French | Translate English into French |
a work by | a painting by |
useful to a person | useful for a purpose |
agree with a person | agree to a proposal |
angry with a person | angry at something |
on the ground floor | on the first floor |
come in my car (own) | come by car (taxi) |
Some Important Phrases For With.
pleased with | happy with | agree with |
angry with | satisfied with | contented with |
Some Important Phrases For By.
by bus | by auto | by car |
by lorry | by train | by ship |
by plane | by sea | by air |